May 2023
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This conference brought policymakers, regulators and stakeholders together to examine the future of intellectual property regulation in the UK.
It came as the Intellectual Property Office continues its programme of modernisation and service improvement, alongside the progress through Parliament of the Retained EU Law Bill, which aims to take forward government plans to remove or reform EU-derived law by the end of 2023.
Delegates discussed latest developments in the transformation and simplification of IPO functions, and what is needed from new integrated systems in order to provide efficient and accessible IP services, including in automation and the move to digital documentation.
The conference was also a timely opportunity to consider the UK’s IP framework and the options for reform following the repeal of EU law, with consideration of the interaction between UK law and existing international regulations, including the rules of key partners such as the new Unitary Patent system in the EU.
Attendees explored latest thinking on options for IP law to be tailored to the UK, and how a reformed framework might align with national objectives for innovation and encourage growth in creative and technical industries.
There was also further discussion on the long-term future of IP law, and the impact of emerging technologies and forms of property on IP regulation and protection, including the use of AI and data mining, as well as the implications of crypto assets, currency, and new virtual environments.
Overall, areas for discussion included:
- modernising IPO services:
- service improvement: latest on the IPO Transformation Programme from Adam Williams, Chief Executive Officer and Comptroller General, Intellectual Property Office
- progress so far: moving forward with integrated services - digital documentation - priorities for accessibility, flexibility and service quality
- developing the IP environment:
- removal of EU law: considering the impact on UK IP law - consequences for judicial interpretation and case law - priorities for a smooth transition
- developing a UK-tailored IP framework: considering how IP law might better align with UK needs - wider government policy, including objectives for innovation and economic growth
- IP regulation: what is needed from regulation and IPO services - facilitating and encouraging UK-based innovation and commercialisation - development of start-ups and spin-outs
- the international landscape:
- competition: the UK’s role as a global leader in IP regulation and law - creating an IP environment that promotes business confidence - developing the UK as a place to invest and innovate
- Brexit: examining the UK’s evolving relationship with the EU and other international partners - the future relationship of UK and EU law - implications of the new EU unitary approach
- the future of IP law:
- artificial intelligence: addressing the challenges posed by new technologies - balancing innovation and rights protection across issues such as data mining and AI-created works
- future proofing: how the IP system can be agile and respond quickly to new technologies and challenges - forecasting future areas of conflict
- digital property: the interaction of IP law with new forms of digital property and crypto technology - assessing how IP law applies to NFTs, digital environments and crypto assets
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who attended from the DBT; DCMS; Department for the Economy, NI; DSIT; GLD; HMRC; IPO; Ofcom; and the Welsh Government.
